Method and apparatus for determining a telephone number for accessing a target entity

• US 20020114324A1
• Filed: 01/18/2002
• Published: 08/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast IP Holdings I LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Seaborne, Andrew Franklin, Low, Colin, Bouthors, Nicolas
• Granted Patent: US 7,206,304 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2867 Physical combinations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/30 Types of network names
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/38 Telephone uniform resource identifier [URI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/301 Name conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1041 Televoting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/428 : Arrangements for placing incoming calls on hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/48 : Arrangements for recalling a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 : comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 : interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 : with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 : Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 : Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0009 : where voice calls remain entirely in the telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 : Click to dial services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 : Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 : for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/126 : Interworking of session control protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 : Details of addressing, directories or routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 : Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13102 : Common translator
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 : Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13109 : Initializing, personal profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 : Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 : Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 : Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 : ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13282 : Call forward, follow-me, call diversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13298 : Local loop systems, access network
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13332 : Broadband, CATV, dynamic bandwidth allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 : Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13349 : Network management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13405 : Dual frequency signaling, DTMF
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13504 : client/server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13526 : resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13527 : protocols - X.25, TCAP etc.
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13528 : SCP architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13534 : Internet - WWW, HTML, browsers etc.
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13546 : Intelligent Peripheral
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 : Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/005 : Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/90 : Internet, e.g. Internet phone, webphone, internet-based telephony

Abstract

Service resource items (49) for use in call setup in a telephone system are held on servers (58) that are connected to a computer network which is logically distinct from the telephone system infrastructure; this computer network may, for example, make use of the Internet. Each service resource item (49) is locatable on the network at a corresponding URI and is associated with a particular telephone number. A mapping is provided between telephone numbers and the URIs of associated service resource items. When it is desired to access a service resource item (49) associated with a particular telephone number, this mapping is used to retrieve the corresponding URI (step 55) which is then used to access the desired service resource item (56, 57, 59).

Claims

1. A method of accessing service resource items for use in respect of setting up bearer channels through a switched telecommunications system, said method including the steps of:

(a)—

provisioning at least one server connected to a computer network with a plurality of service resource items that are thereafter locatable on said computer network by corresponding known URIs, said computer network being logically distinct from the telecommunications system, and said service resource items relating to setup control for bearer channels through said telecommunications system with each said service resource item being associated with a respective predetermined code, said predetermined codes being distinct from said URIs and identifying end-point entities for said bearer channels;

(b)—

providing a mapping between each said predetermined code and the said known URI of the service resource item associated with that predetermined code; and

(c)—

utilising a said predetermined code to access a corresponding said service resource item by using said mapping to determine the URI corresponding to that resource item and then using this URI to access the service resource item over said computer network.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least some of said URIs are derivable from their corresponding said predetermined codes by manipulation according to a function specified by said mapping.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least some of said URIs are derivable from their corresponding said predetermined codes by look up in an association table associating said predetermined codes and URIs according to said mapping.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein said association table is held on at least one database server connected to said computer network, step (c) involving accessing said database server over the computer network to determine the said URI corresponding to the said predetermined code.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein said at least one database server is provided by a DNS-type distributed database system in which said URIs are held in records associated with respective names, herein referred to as domain names, by which the records can be retrieved, step (c) involving translating said predetermined code into a corresponding said domain name and using this domain name to retrieve the URI of the required service resource item from said DNS-type distributed database system.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least two said service resource items are located at the same URI, the said predetermined codes of these service resource items including respective relative-resource-identifier values that are used at the server holding the service resource items to identify the required resource item amongst the service resource items at the same URI.

7. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said switched telecommunications system is a telephone system and said predetermined codes comprise numbers from at least one of the following categories:

the telephone number of the calling party;

the telephone number of the called party.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said switched telecommunication system is a telephone system, at least some of said predetermined codes being called-party telephone numbers and serving to retrive service resource items that are the current telephone numbers of the called parties.

9. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one said service resource items is service logic which is executed by the corresponding server upon being accessed with the result of this execution being returned to the accessing entity for use in bearer-channel setup control.

10. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one said service resource items is downloadable service data which upon being accessed is downloaded to the accessing entity for use thereby in bearer-channel setup control.

11. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one said service resource items is downloadable service logic which upon being accessed is downloaded to the accessing entity for execution in bearer-channel setup control.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein said computer network is generally accessible to users of the telecommunications system.

13. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said computer network is the Internet.

14. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said switched telecommunication network is a PSTN.

15. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein said telecommunication system is a private system including a PABX with which said service control system is associated, and wherein said computer network is a LAN.

16. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said URIs are URLs and/or URNs, and said server is an HTTP server.